The Phenix City Story **** (1955, Richard Kiley, Edward Andrews, John McIntire, Kathryn Crosby) – Classic Movie Review 3542

The Phenix City Story is high up on the hefty list of popular Fifties films devoted to exposing the mob activities of ‘the syndicate’ in one of America’s cities.

Director Phil Karlson’s atmospheric and exciting 1955 underworld B-movie thriller is deservedly a cult item, made in semi-documentary style. The plot is about crime-busting lawyer John Patterson (Richard Kiley), just out of the army, and his initially reluctant attorney father Albert’s battle with Alabama small-town mobsters who run gambling and prostitution rackets.

Of course, gambling and prostitution keep the soldiers from Fort Benning happy, but that’s not the point. They are being exploited. Something’s got to be done. But then the syndicate responds with escalating violence to John’s plan to run Albert as reforming state attorney general.

There is exuberant acting by stars Richard Kiley, John McIntire, Edward Andrews and Kathryn Crosby as Ellie Rhodes, and a strong character actor backup. No actual stars, just good acting from the right faces. It also boasts a wonderful film noir look thanks to Harry Neumann’s cinematography, a crisp screenplay by Crane Wilbur and Dan [Daniel] Mainwaring, as well as attentive, taut and pacy direction by Karlson.

Karlson’s fact-based film gets exactly what it needs to make it convincing and lift it from the rut.

Also in the cast are Lenka Peterson, Biff McGuire, Truman Smith. Jean Carson, Kathy Marlowe, John Larch, Allen Nourse, Helen Martin, Otto Hulett, George Mitchell, Ma Beachie, James E Seymour and James Edwards. Meg Myles has a short, but important uncredited role as Judy.

Some of the actors wear the actual clothes of their real-life characters – how’s that for realism? On the other hand,  the film shows its hero John Patterson as supportive of African-American Zeke Ward (James Edwards) and his family. But, in real life, after his term as Alabama attorney general (1954-1958), he ran for governor in 1958 on an openly racist campaign and won.

It was so topical that some of the criminals portrays were still standing trial during filming.

Just to show its cult status, Martin Scorsese names it as one of his favourite films and Steven Schneider includes it among his 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

A vivacious brunette, the former Kathryn Grant is now known as Kathryn Crosby. She was born in the Deep South in 1933. She retired rather after marrying Bing Crosby in 1957. They had three children, including actress Mary Crosby of Dallas (1978).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3542

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